On Your Own
by curlymonic1215
Summary: She would do anything to protect her sister...but who is willing to protect her? Eventually lita/Jericho and Maria/Jeff hardy
1. Chapter 1

Title: On Your Own

Rating: M

Disclaimer: Any character's you recognize belong to the WWE, not me.

Summary: She would do anything to protect her baby sister…but who is willing to protect her?

Notes: This story is set when the WWE superstars are in high school. The setting is North Carolina. List of ages are as follows:

Amy (Lita): 16

Maria: 13

Adam (Edge) 17

Chris Jericho: 17

Matt Hardy: 17

Jeff Hardy: 14

Alexis Laree (Mickie James): 16

Trish Statrus: 15

* * *

The two teenagers stood back as their father discussed logistics with the man selling them the house. It was smaller than their previous one, the family going from a modest four-bedroom home in Florida to a two-bedroom house in the woods somewhere in North Carolina. Their father had been looking for isolation and that's exactly what he got. The nearest house was down the road quite a ways, at least two miles. The thought of being surrounded by nothing sent a shiver down Amy's spine, and she sent a weak smile to her little sister.

"It's going to be okay Maria. We'll get by just like we always have," assured Amy, and Maria nodded, instinctively stepping closer to her sister. Amy gave her a small hug, ignoring the small strain on her ribs. She couldn't let Maria know she was hurting after last night; it would only worry her more.

"Amy! Maria! What the hell are you two doing? Start moving this shit in!" bellowed their father, a heavyset man with dark brown eyes. His hair had been washed back for this meeting with the previous owner, a man who was clearly intimidated by her father as well.

Amy shoved Maria behind her as he took a step closer to the two of them, the younger of the two sisters beginning to shake slightly.

"I'm sorry dad. We didn't know what you wanted us to do," whispered Amy, standing tall as her father stood just inches from her face.

"Yeah, well now you do. And if I have to remind either of you again, I'll make sure you _both_ get punished," he reminded them, placing his hand on his belt for good measures. Amy nodded her understanding, turning towards the car, grasping Maria's hand in her own as she began to grab boxes. She waited until she heard her father begin to make his way towards the house to release Maria from her grasp completely.

"It's going to be fine. He won't hurt you, I promise," stated Amy, a knot forming in her stomach. It was a promise she made to her sister daily, and it was one that seemed to be getting broken more and more, the younger girl falling victim to more than a few licks of the belt when Amy had been beaten too severely to protect her. Maria shrugged, grabbing a box as well.

"His belt hurts a lot less than seeing you take the punishment for both of us," said Maria softly, and Amy sighed.

"Come on, we don't want to keep him waiting," whispered Amy, heading towards the house with a couple of boxes, Maria following closely behind.


	2. Chapter 2

"I don't like it here."

Amy rolled her eyes as she and Maria settled into their new room. The older of the two placed another item of clothing into the closet, glancing over at Maria who was making her bed.

"You aren't even giving it a shot. Besides, I like the idea of you and I sharing a room. It makes me feel a little better knowing," said Amy and Maria shrugged, her eyes holding a distant and sad look to them.

"Ria…?" questioned Amy, using her sister's nickname. She abandoned the clothes and moved towards the bed, pulling her sister down with her. The younger girl ducked her head, her brown hair falling over her face.

"I miss mom," whispered Maria, tears pricking her brown eyes, her hands crossed over her chest in a protective manner. Amy nodded, placing Maria on the bed before kneeling down in front of her. It had been eight months since their mother had passed away. The police had said it was a car accident, but both Amy and Maria knew the truth. Their father had dragged their mother into that car in the middle of a rainstorm after one of his particularly vicious episodes, speeding off into the night. Their mother had told the two girls to go to their room and lock the door when she heard his car pull up. Maria still had nightmares of the screaming and pleading they had heard come from their mother. It was the last time they ever saw her.

"I know Ria. I know," whispered Amy, pulling her sister into a hug. Of the two girls, Amy had always been the stronger one, the protective one. When her mother had died, she made a promise at the funeral that she would protect Maria, just as her mother had protected them. Maria tried so hard to be strong, but she was only thirteen. She didn't deserve the horrors their father bestowed on them. She didn't deserve the nights spent being whipped or beaten. She didn't deserve to be starved or forced to endure one of the many different forms of punishment their father had created. Yet she had. Every time Amy failed at her job of protecting her sister, Maria got hurt. It was unacceptable in her eyes. It killed her worse than even the most severe beating seeing Maria at the mercy of their father. She may not deserve any of it either, but she was older and stronger. She could handle whatever her father threw her way. Maria couldn't.

After a few moments Amy released her sister, smoothing down the strands of brown hair still covering her eyes, wiping away a few stray tears.

"Are you hungry?" asked Amy and Maria shrugged, clearly still caught with emotion.

"You finish up the room. I'll go see what I can find for dinner," said Amy and Maria nodded, getting up to finish the bed.

"Okay."

* * *

The sound of a slamming door caught Maria's attention. She looked at the clock, noting that her sister had only been downstairs for about twenty minutes. She swallowed hard as she heard him stumble through the house, the small trailer shaking with each step he took.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Maria's breath caught in her throat as she heard him address Amy, and she whimpered at the sound of something, or someone, being thrown against the wall.

Downstairs, Amy tried her best to calm her father down.

"I just…I was trying to m-make dinner daddy," stuttered Amy, trying to stand tall for her father, trying not to slump against the wall she'd just been thrown against.

"Oh, so you think you're actually going to be _allowed_ to eat tonight?" he questioned, stepping closer to Amy and she shook her head, tears threatening to fall.

"I…daddy, please…just-

He backhanded her then, her face turning from the force of the blow and she couldn't help the whimper that escaped her lips.

"Get up!" he shouted and Amy did as she was told, trying to block out the pain she felt as she did so. He grabbed her hair as she did so, dragging her through the kitchen and into the main part of the house.

"Maria! Get your ass down here!" he bellowed out and Amy flinched at the sound of his voice.

"Daddy, no. Please…she didn't do anything. Please, daddy…." Begged Amy, biting her lip as she saw her baby sister appear at the stairway, tears in her eyes.

He shoved Amy onto the ground, his hands pulling at her pants, pulling them off of her as the teenager began to sob, her face buried into the old carpet.

"Sit down Maria!" he commanded, the young girl doing as she was told. "You girls are going to learn a lesson if it's the last thing I do. I swear to God you think you can just do what you want without any consequences…I'll give you consequences all right!" he yelled, tugging off Amy's shirt as well. She didn't fight, knowing it would only make the punishment worse. She could only hope and pray that she could keep him from hurting Maria, but she knew that forcing her baby sister to watch as Amy was beaten was punishment enough for the both of them.

Amy couldn't help the scream that escaped her lips as the first lash of the belt connected with her behind, her body jumping at the contact. She tried to curl into herself, tried to protect herself, but the lashes came at her faster and faster until she could barely feel the belt lift from her skin before the next one hit. She could hear Maria sobbing now and the sound caused her even more pain than the belt. Amy tried to keep count, ten, eleven, twelve…but the pain was starting to get to her.

She felt herself being lifted from the ground, her legs unable to move as she was dragged across the room. Another small whimper escaped her lips as she felt cool metal attach to her wrists, her body being hoisted into the air as she was handcuffed to the stair rail, the side of the stairs digging into her now broken flesh. She kept her head down in shame, groaning as her father punched her in the gut, the wind being knocked out of her as she gasped for some little bit of breath from the blow. Her arms were stretched to the very top of the rail, her feet dangling just inches from the floor. She could feel her eyes drifting shut and she tried desperately to stay awake, if only to know that Maria was safe.

"Let this be a lesson to you both," warned her father dangerously, heading back to the end of the stairs and lifting Maria by her shirt.

"The cameras are on. If you so much as touch your sister tonight, you can be sure you'll be suffering a much worse fate tomorrow," he warned and Maria nodded, scrambling away as her father dropped her to the ground. After a few seconds the door slammed shut. Maria closed her eyes, unsure of what to do next.


	3. Chapter 3

She had told her to go.

As Maria curled into herself on the bed, all she could think about was how Amy was, in no better terms, hanging from the railing, probably unconscious by now. It had been awful, watching their father beat her with that whip; her back, her legs, everywhere he could…

It had taken every ounce of strength Amy had simply to tell her to go upstairs and stay there. _Please, if you stay down here, he'll hurt you too…_she had whispered, pain laced throughout her words. The memory only made Maria cry harder. If only Amy had stayed up there. If only she hadn't tried to make them dinner…Maria squeezed her eyes shut, trying to get that thought out of her mind. _She had been beaten trying to feed you, you pathetic loser. _It had been at least four, maybe even five days since either girl had been able to eat. The four day car trip had been long and painful. Their father stopped every night at a hotel, but both girls had been buckled in and handcuffed in the backseat, their mouths gagged. The southern summer heat had been enough to make both girls pass out on more than one occasion. Amy had tried so hard the night before they had left, begging her father to allow at least Maria a meal or two along the way. Her pleading had only caused her to spend the night in the closet. Maria hated it. She was constantly begging Amy to stop sticking up for her, to stop taking punishments for her, to stop pleading for her. There was only so much one girl could handle…but her sister, the everlasting protector, refused. _One of us needs to make it through this thing_, she would say. _Just two more years until I turn eighteen, and then you and I can leave…I can handle two more years, and I need to know that you are going to survive as well._

Why was he like this? Why did he do this to them? They had, at one point, been a happy family. Even Maria remembered those moments from time to time. She had been young back then, only six or seven. It was soon after she turned nine and Amy twelve that her father had lost his job. He started to drink more and more. Their mother, the angel she was, had tried to shield the girls the best she could…until he became violent. That had been three years ago. Three long and torturous years….and after their mother had died, or been killed, whatever it was that had happened, it had only escalated for the two sisters.

The sound of their father returning home snapped Maria from her thoughts and she instantly held her breath, praying he would release Amy tonight, praying her sister was conscious even.

"Get up to your room before I do even worse damage to you, you worthless piece of shit," bellowed their father, the words followed by what Maria could only assume was a kick to the ribs. _Please, don't hurt her anymore_, whispered Maria to the silent room.

She heard footsteps, and she knew her sister was trying so hard to make it. The sound of the belt snapping against flesh told Maria her sister's punishment wasn't over. Slowly, the door began to open, Amy nearly collapsing into the room, her hand clutching at her bare back. Maria waited a few seconds more until she heard her father's door slam shut before scurrying out of bed, shutting their own door and flipping on the lights. She could see the glisten of tears in her sister's hazel eyes as she lied helplessly on the ground.

"Come on sissy, whispered Maria, gently placing a hand around her sister, trying to be careful of her ribs. "Let's get you to bed." Maria's voice was soothing, her mind instantly going towards comforting Amy. Amy tried to wave her off, unable to form words as she managed to make it to bed. Maria pulled down the thin covers, helping Amy crawl into them. She tried to be strong for her sister, giving her a weak smile as she attempted to comfort her as Amy so often did with her.

"You're safe now. He can't hurt you anymore sissy," whispered Maria and Amy nodded.

"Hey now…you only ever call me sissy when you're scared," managed Amy, reaching up to gently caress her sister's too pale face. _She needed to find a way to get her food tomorrow._

"Where all does it hurt?" asked Maria and Amy tried to shrug, wincing at the motion.

"Don't worry about me Ria. You need to sleep. We start school tomorrow," whispered Amy, and Maria gave a slight nod, leaning down to place a kiss to her sister's un-bruised cheek.

"Ok. You sleep too. We can talk tomorrow," whispered Maria before heading over to her own bed, praying sleep would come easy for her.


	4. Chapter 4

Getting ready for school had been hell.

Amy had tried so hard to manage, but her body had fought her the entire morning. As it stood, her back was covered with the marks of last's nights beating, her shoulders still sore from being forced to hold her entire wait for a grand total of five hours. She had needed Maria's help to cover the large bruise forming on her cheekbone with makeup before deeming herself presentable enough for school. And now here both girls were, standing in front of Cameron Public High School.

"Meet me here after school, okay Maria?"

Amy's overprotective nature was kicking into overdrive as she and her sister stood in front of the small school. She stole a glance over her shoulder to her younger sister, who managed a small smile for Amy despite the nerves rolling through her. She glanced around at the last minute students racing to meet up with their friends before the bell and she couldn't help but begin to miss her old school, her old home, her old life…

Maria pushed those thoughts out of her mind, forcing one last smile for Amy, who was also looking around at some of the students passing by. As the warning bell rang both girls sighed, and Maria chewed her lower lip, her nerves beginning to get the best of her.

"Hey now, don't be such a baby. You'll be fine," quipped Amy, smiling as Maria rolled her eyes.

"Gee, thanks for those words of wisdom," muttered Maria, heading off in the opposite direction of Amy.

* * *

Amy sighed as she listened to the professor go on and on about the coursework for the year. The first day always bored her. She glancde around the classroom, trying to figure out who was who. The girl sitting next to her seemed nice enough, even if she had kind of a preppy look to her. Her name was Mickie, if Amy could recall. Her brown hair was placed in two pigtails and the look seemed rather childish for a junior in high school. Amy thought about her own choice of clothing; a pair of baggy cargo pants and a black long sleeve shirt with a rock band logo on the front. Her attention snapped to her stomach as she heard a soft rumble of hunger inside her. She had taken a couple dollars from the front seat of the car, all she could find, earlier and given it to Maria for lunch, knowing her sister needed to eat. She knew she'd pay for it if her father noticed the money missing, but she couldn't live with herself if Maria had to go yet another day with no food. As for herself, she figured she could survive at least two more days if necessary….

The sound of the bell snapped Amy out of her thoughts and she quickly grabbed her books, wincing as she stood to fast, her back protesting the motion.

"You okay?"

Amy looked up at the voice, surprised to see a guy who she knew had been sitting on the other side of the room standing in front of her.

"What? Yeah…I'm fine…just stiff from sitting all day, you know?" lied Amy and the boy nodded, still gazing at her. He was well built with shoulder length blonde hair. His blue eyes bored into her as if he could see through her lie, making her uncomfortable.

"I…I should go," whispered Amy, trying to shoulder past him.

"Wait, I'm sorry. I never introduced myself. My name is Chris. Chris Jericho. I just wanted to say hi because you're new and so I wanted to be nice….I didn't mean to scare you," said Chris, now walking in sync with Amy and she stopped, offering him first a smile and then her hand, which he took gratefully.

"Amy. It's nice to meet you Chris."

He smiled.

"Do you have lunch now?" he asked and she nodded.

"Yeah but I-

He cut her off, heading off in the direction of the cafeteria, motioning for her to follow him.

"Come on, I'll introduce you to the guys. You're going to love them!" he said, genuinely trying to be nice. Amy groaned, feeling she had no choice but to follow this rather pushy, but cute, guy.

"Awesome," she replied sarcastically, hurrying to catch up. At least he seemed friendly enough. She vaguely wondered how Maria was faring.

* * *

Maria smiled as she listened to her English teacher discuss some of the works they would be working through over the course of the year. She had always been nerd when it came to books, always desperate to get her hands on whatever reading material she could. She looked over at the guy sitting to the left of her, noting his creative sense of, well self she supposed. He had purple, blue, and red streaks in hair that she guessed was supposed to be blonde. He seemed to be paying as much attention to the teacher as Maria had been, which surprised her because she was usually the only one doing that…at least at her old school she had been. He must have noticed her stare because he glanced over and sent her a small smile before returning his attention to the front.

"I want you all to take these last couple of minutes before the bell rings to look over the syllabus and think of any questions you may have for tomorrow. There will be no homework tonight but be aware that this will not happen every night."

Maria let out a soft sigh, vaguely glancing at the syllabus.

"My name is Jeff. What's yours?"

Maria looked up at the sound of the voice grabbing her attention and offered a smile to the boy she had been looking at. "Maria."

"Cool. I like it. Seems to fit you," he replied and Maria couldn't help but laugh. Somehow she had never been told something so…sweet.

"Would you like to eat lunch together today?" asked Jeff and Maria nodded, liking the idea of having someone to sit with on her first day.

"Yeah, I'd like that a lot."

* * *

"So where did you move from?"

Amy jumped at the sound of a voice, shutting her locker and relaxing as she noted that it was only Chris. The two seemed to be in every class together and so far he had been nice to her all day. As defensive as she was about having friends, she really did appreciate the gesture.

"Florida," she replied and he nodded, frowning when he noticed a small gesture of pain cross her face as she slipped her bag over her shoulder.

"Are you hurt or something?" he asked and she swallowed hard, shaking her head.

"No, I just slept funny last night so I'm a little sore. Our beds haven't arrived from our other house so I slept on the floor last night. They should be here today though," she lied, surprised at how quickly she had thought of that. He nodded, seemingly accepting the answer.

"So where do you live?" Maybe I can give you a ride," he offered and Amy shook her head.

"No thanks. I have to meet my sister out front. I can catch the bus," said Amy and Chris shrugged.

"Okay, well maybe another time. We should meet up sometime outside of school though. I can show you around the town and get you a little more acquainted, maybe?" questioned Chris, his voice filled with uncertainty and Amy had to bite back a hollow laugh. She hadn't gone out with friends in years….

"Yeah, maybe…" replied Amy, stealing a glance towards the exit and Chris took the hint, lifting his bag a little higher up onto his shoulder.

"Okay, well see you tomorrow," he said and she nodded, her eyes falling on Maria in the crowd of people.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow," said Amy, not wasting another second as she raced to catch up with her sister.


	5. Chapter 5

"So I met a guy today."

Amy looked up from the homework sitting on her lap as her sister eagerly looked over to her for a reaction, her brown eyes brimming with so much excitement that Amy couldn't help but laugh.

"You're thirteen and it's your first day at a new school and that was your priority?" questioned Amy and Maria giggled, hopping off her own bed to go join Amy.

"No, it just happened anyway. His name is Jeff. He's really funny. And creative. And we have a lot in common," said Maria and smiled, genuinely happy to hear that Maria had made a friend, even if it was a guy. Not that Amy hadn't done the same…

"Good for you. Do you like the school?" she asked and Maria shrugged.

"It's not that bad. Oh, wait, I almost forgot." Maria jumped off the bed, heading over to her bag before digging something out, throwing it at Amy as she discovered what she had been looking for.

"It's a fruit bar. I got it for you during lunch," said Maria and Amy gave her a stern look.

"Please tell me you ate lunch today," said Amy and Maria nodded.

"I did. I bought that with the extra money, since I know you didn't eat lunch and I know it's not been a week since you've eaten anything…" said Maria, her gaze traveling downwards as she thought about the lack of food for either girl.

"Thanks, but next time please just use any money you get to feed yourself. I don't need to eat. You do, And you need to eat enough during lunch, because I don't know when or even if daddy is ever going to let us eat here," said Amy, unwrapping the fruit bar and taking a bite. Maria rolled her eyes.

"You're always a martyr when you don't need to be. You can't always put yourself last Amy," replied Maria and Amy shrugged.

"Someday you'll understand. Until then, stop worrying about me, okay little sis?" demanded Amy and Maria shrugged.

"Whatever," she replied sullenly, her fingers twirling the pattern on her sister's blanket and Amy sighed, placing her fingers on her sister's chin, urging her to meet her gaze. She silently cursed herself when she saw tears in Maria's eyes.

"Hey now, none of that. I appreciate you looking out for me. You know I do. I just wish you didn't have to," said Amy, wiping away a tear as it slipped from Maria's eye and her sister nodded.

"Same goes for you," she muttered, giving her sister a small hug, careful of her injuries. "Same goes for you," she repeated again, this time to herself.

* * *

"Okay Jericho, what gives? Who is the girl?"

Chris rolled his eyes as he took a break from the makeshift wrestling ring in Matt and Jeff Hardy's backyard. He had only just met Amy that morning, but she was all he could think about already.

"I don't know man. There's just something about her, something mysterious. She has this tough chick attitude that makes me want to get to know her. She isn't like those preppy girls like Mickie and Ashley. She's just….unique," said Chris and Jeff shrugged.

"I think she and the girl I met today, Maria, are sisters," commented Jeff, joining in on the conversation between his brother and his friend.

"Great, I'll double date with my best friend's little brother," quipped Jericho, earning himself a shoe to his head courtesy of Jeff.

"In your dreams Jerky. You just met this girl. What makes you think she even likes you in that way?" asked Matt and Jericho sighed.

"I don't know yet, but give it time. Y2J never fails when it comes to girls," he laughed and this time both brothers rolled their eyes.

"You have fun with that Jericho," said Matt and Chris couldn't help but smile.

"You'll see. She's different. And she's new to the area. Together, those two things give me a pretty good shot," said Chris, heading back into the ring to practice some more with Matt.


	6. Chapter 6

*2 weeks later*

The hunger pains had gotten worse.

Amy could feel her stomach groaning in hunger as she tried to concentrate on the derivatives lesson her math teacher was giving. It had been two weeks since they'd moved here and her father had taken to only allowing them one meal a week, two if they "earned it," but she had yet to understand what it would take to earn it from him. As the days without food continued, Amy had begun to realize the depths of the abuse she and her sister were facing, and she lied awake at night praying for an answer. She couldn't go to the authorities. They would only put her and Maria in foster care, and potentially split them up. Amy couldn't let that happen. She knew what happened to teenagers in foster care. She knew they would more than likely be put in a group home. She knew that in some cases foster care or group homes had abuse in them. It was too much of a risk to take. She couldn't put herself or Maria through it.

Amy closed her eyes at the thought of Maria. The poor girl had been forced to spend the night in the closet for the past two nights after their father had discovered her having a nightmare. Amy hadn't meant for it to happen. She had tried to quiet Maria down before their father had woken up, but she had been unsuccessful. Amy had begged her father to punish her instead, but he refused. Instead Amy had been forced to listen from her bedroom as her father dragged Maria down the stairs, whipping her for a good five minutes before locking her in the closet. He had let her out to go to school, knowing absences always looked suspicious. Maria hadn't said a word to her on their way to school that day.

Amy looked across the room at Chris, who sent her a small smile back. She closed her eyes against the hunger, fighting off a wave of dizziness that threatened her. She had passed out twice in the last two weeks due to a lack of food, but luckily both time she had been home and it had gone unnoticed by her father. She reopened her eyes just as the bell was ringing, cautious as she stood up.

"Amy, are you okay?"

Amy looked up and managed a small smile for Mickie, who was glancing over at her, concern evident in her brown eyes. The school itself was small enough that she had become acquainted with most everybody already, even more so with her classmates. It still surprised her that they had any interest at all in her this quickly though….

"Yeah, just not feeling very well today I guess," she muttered, not waiting to carry on the conversation. God, she felt so sick.

She walked slowly to her next class, keeping her head down, not wanting anybody to notice how sick she was. She couldn't go to the nurse. It wasn't as if she could just say "oh yeah, I live with my abusive father who has refused to allow me or my younger sister to eat for the last few weeks."

"Here, eat this."

Amy looked up at Maria who had stopped her in the hallway, pulling both of them into a small corner.

"Where'd you get this?" asked Amy, eying the slice of pizza her sister was holding in her hand.

"The cafeteria. Some girl left her lunch money in the bathroom while I was there so I grabbed it. Trust me, I figured you and I needed it more than she did," said Maria and Amy rolled her eyes.

"So you're stealing now? Maria-

"No, no lectures. Just eat. You look the same as I did before I ate my slice. I nearly passed out, that's what I was doing in the bathroom to begin with. And I'm going to be out for a while after school. I have something I have to do," said Maria, trying to keep her voice down and hoping she and Amy weren't too noticeable.

Amy took the slice, taking a small bite and savoring how it felt in her mouth before returning her attention to her younger sister.

"What? You can't be serious Maria. You just got finished spending the last two days in the closet for goodness sakes. Are you trying for the cage next?" whispered Amy, her voice harsh as she looked at her sister in disbelief. Maria flinched at the mention of the dog cage their father kept in his room. Both girls had been subjected to that torture only once, and neither wanted to ever relive it. Being forced to spend days on end locked in a cage you barely fit into, couldn't move around in, and only being allowed out to be savagely beaten….Maria rubbed absently at the scar on her leg where her father had scorched her with an iron while being in the cage. It was after Maria's stint in the cage at the end of the last school year that they had been forced to move in the first place after her teacher suspected abuse when Maria returned back to school after spending a week in the cage.

"I'm sorry Maria. I didn't mean to remind you of that time," whispered Amy, placing a hand on her sister's cheek to bring her attention back. Maria shrugged.

"It's okay. I won't be late, I promise. I'll be home before daddy even realizes I'm gone," whispered Maria, turning to head back to class.

"Thanks for the pizza," remarked Amy and Maria smiled.

"You're welcome."

* * *

Maria walked slowly through town, trying desperately to search for a place that served food. She knew she and Amy couldn't survive on what they were being given to eat. It was only a matter of time before either girl passed out in school or got severely sick because of the lack of energy. She knew what she was risking by not going straight home, and she knew what she was risking by begging anybody for food, but she had to do it. She had to look out for her and Amy. The older sister of the two was always looking out for her, and now it was her turn to return the favor.

Her eyes came across a small diner, not really a looker but it was what she was looking for. She took a deep breath, knowing this was wrong but knowing she had to try. She was desperate. And desperate times called for desperate measures.

Without giving herself time to talk herself out of it, Maria opened the door, scanning the place for a sign of life. It was empty. She cleared her throat, hoping to get some recognition. _Please let someone be here_.

"Hello? Is someone here?"

Maria's head snapped up at the sound of a voice, her brown eyes looking for the source. She smiled politely when an older man appeared.

"Can I help you?" he asked, eyeing her carefully.

"Um, yeah, I hope you can anyways. I…I was wondering if you would maybe be willing to help me out with something," began Maria, chewing her bottom lip lightly.

"Help you out? What do you mean?" he asked, ushering for her to sit at one of the tables.

"I….I want to make some sort of deal with you. Like I could help you out here after school every day or something if you would be willing to maybe let me bring home food you don't sell at the end of the night?" questioned Maria, trying desperately to keep eye contact with her. She was an extremely social person, but it never appeared that way in situations where she was uncomfortable.

"Why? You hungry or something?" he questioned, and she looked away as he started eyeing her slim figure. He clothes were beginning to look baggy on her and she knew she wasn't exactly keeping weight on in her current situation.

"Or something like that. I just….my family doesn't have a lot of money and my sister and I don't always get enough to eat and trust me, we need it. I'd be willing to do anything, and I don't want compensation in the form of cash…just food. Any amount of food even. Even if it was just like 2 burgers or something every day I worked, that's all…I really need this sir and I know I must look like a beggar or something but you don't understand how badly I need this...how badly my sister needs this," said Maria, hating that tears were beginning to well up in her eyes.

The older gentleman sighed, thinking about everything this girl was telling him. She must be new. He knew almost every family in this town but he certainly didn't know her or her family…but there was just something about this girl that was familiar….

"How old are you?" he asked and Maria looked back up, trying to smile.

"13. I'll be 14 in a few months," she responded and he nodded.

"Same age as my youngest…." He replied, his voice drifting off and she ducked her head again, wondering if she knew who his youngest was.

After a few moments of silence the older man cleared his throat, getting up from the table and heading behind the counter.

"Come by tomorrow, right after school. I'm short a cashier after my last one took off for New York to be with her boyfriend. I'll pay you 3 dollars an hour because you look like a nice girl and at the end of your shift you can help yourself to whatever you want to take home for you and your sister. You can use the cash to help out your family or do whatever you want with it. When you come in tomorrow, ask for Gil, that's me. I'll introduce you to my son's Matt and Jeff and they can help train you," he said and Maria nodded, a genuine smile appearing on her face.

"Thank you sir. Thank you so much! You have no idea how much this is going to help me! Thank you!" she beamed with excitement and Gil nodded, patting her on the shoulder.

"Let me hook you up with a couple of burgers and some fries to take home to you and your sister before you leave," he said, heading to the back. Maria nodded, unable to keep the look of excitement off her face…her expression changing when she thought about something he had just said.

Did he say the name of his son was Jeff?


	7. Chapter 7

"Chris, wait up!"

Chris turned around at the sound of a voice and gave a small smile to Mickie as she came heading towards his car.

"Hey, do you need a ride?" he asked and Mickie shook her head emphatically.

"No, but if you don't mind, I would like to talk to you in private so maybe we could talk in your car?" she asked and he nodded, concern crossing over his handsome face. He ran a hand nervously through his blonde hair as he unlocked the passenger side for Mickie, getting in on the driver side as well.

He and Mickie had been friends for about a year now, ever since she had moved in with the family down the road from his own. She had been a loner all throughout elementary school, and it hadn't been until last year when her entire life story had suddenly and without warning become common knowledge for the entire town.

"So, what's up?" he asked and Mickie sighed, chewing her bottom lip lightly.

"You know those new girls that just started here, the two sisters? I know the one in our class, Amy, but I don't know what her sister's name is," began Mickie and Chris nodded. He and Amy had formed somewhat of a friendship, but the pretty teenager seemed more on the shy side and very rarely said more than a few words on any given day. She never ate lunch in the lunchroom either, instead insisting on going to the library to get some work done every day.

"Yeah, Amy and I have all our classes together. I think her sister's name is Maria. She and Jeff are in a few classes together as well," replied Chris and Mickie nodded.

"I just get this weird feeling about them. Today Amy looked about ready to pass out in math class, and then afterwards I saw her and her sister talking in some corner together. Her sister didn't look much better," said Mickie tentatively and Chris frowned, not sure what Mickie was getting at.

"So what? Maybe there's something going around at their house or something," said Chris and Mickie nodded carefully.

"Yeah, maybe. I don't know, maybe I'm just being paranoid. I really haven't even spent any time with either of them so I shouldn't just be jumping to conclusions," she said and Chris's frown deepened, reaching out to gently grasp his friend's wrist.

"Paranoid about what, Mickie? What do you think is going on with them?" asked Chris softly, knowing that look in Mickie's eyes and knowing it wasn't good.

"Nothing. Forget it. Maybe I'll see if Amy wants to hang out this weekend or something, get to know her a little more. I really probably am just being paranoid," said Mickie, pulling away from Chris and reaching for the door. The blonde man sighed, thinking this whole conversation was more than a little odd.

"It couldn't hurt. I'm sure they both could use some more friend's to make them feel comfortable," said Chris, thinking of his own relationship with Amy and how he had begun to even develop feelings for the new girl.

"Right. Well, thanks for listening. I'll see you later," said Mickie, sending him a smile and a wave as she climbed out of the car, heading back towards the school for cheerleading practice.

* * *

(Later that night)

"Welcome back."

Maria rolled her eyes at her sister's words as she entered their bedroom, Amy offering her a gentle hug as she sat down on her own bed in her room…her safe haven. A shudder ran up Maria's spine as she thought about the last two days spent in the closet completely at her father's mercy….being woken up in the middle of the night when he was at his most dangerous, whipped and beaten until he threw her back into the closet, locking the door once again before passing out for the night.

"Hey now, it's all over. Don't think about it anymore," whispered Amy, noting the faraway look in Maria's brown eyes. The younger of the two shook her head, offering Amy a smile.

"I got something for us," she said, grabbing her backpack and quickly taking the two bags that Gil had offered her. "Before you say anything, let me explain," said Maria, Amy's eyes widening at the sight of the food.

"You better," replied Amy, her mind racing with how Maria could have managed this.

"You're always taking care of me and putting yourself in danger for me. You're always getting the brunt of daddy's abuse and meanness. So I decided that this time, I wanted to be the one to help us out. So, after school I walked downtown and found this little diner place and I talked to the owner and he agreed to give me a job basically. Only instead of paying me full wage he's going to let me take food home for you and I every night I work."

Amy looked at her sister as if she had lost her mind. In fact, she was pretty sure she had.

"Are you asking to be killed?" asked Amy incredulously, ignoring the look of annoyance on Maria's face. "You must be, because when daddy finds out about this, and he will, he's going to make sure you never walk again!" cried Amy and Maria crossed her hands over her chest in a protective manner, refusing to back down from this.

"I don't care. He's going to hurt us regardless of what we do Amy. Christ, all we ever do is hide out in this room and go to school and he STILL finds reasons to beat us almost every night. I am tired of seeing you get hurt. I'm tired of being hurt myself. I want to die every time I hear the sound of that belt cracking against one of us. And now….now it's even worse, Amy. We won't survive if he keeps starving us like this. Were lucky if we get anything to eat at all in a week, and that _one meal_ he does give us each week is a joke. It is scraps of food that wouldn't even be enough to feed a toddler in one sitting, let alone us for a week. If daddy finds out, which I'll try my hardest to make sure he doesn't….then so be it. Let him whip me or paddle me. Let him beat me until I can't sit straight for a month. Hell, he can go right ahead and lock me in that damn cage for all I care. At least if he kills me because of this…at least I'll know it was because I was trying to survive, trying to keep both of us alive…."

Maria's voice trailed off, tears in her eyes as she finished and she knew Amy was crying as well. Her older sister nodded, pulling Maria into her arms, being careful of the back that she knew was still sore and damaged from the past two nights. She placed a kiss to her sister's hair, rocking her ever so lightly.

"I'm sorry Ria. I'm so sorry. You don't deserve any of this. _Neither_ of us do," whispered Amy and Maria nodded against her sister's embrace. "I'll do whatever I can to keep daddy from finding out, okay? If this is what you want to do, what you need to do, then I support you," whispered Amy again and Maria nodded.

"Just pray we both make it out of this alive," replied Maria, pulling away and reaching for the almost forgotten food, handing a bag over to Amy. The two girls ate in silence, sending a quick prayer that they would indeed make it out of this whole thing alive.


	8. Chapter 8

"Amy!"

Amy looked up from her locker at the sound of a voice calling from behind, offering a gentle smile as Mickie began to approach her.

"Hey Mickie, what's up?" she asked softly and Mickie shrugged.

"Nothing much. Chris and I were just about to head off to lunch. I was wondering if you wanted to come sit with us?" she questioned and Amy thought for a moment, clearly hesitant. On the other hand, it wasn't as if she didn't have money this time. Maria had been using the extra money Gil gave her at the end of each shift for lunches for both girls, providing them with a solid two meals at least two or three times a week.

"Yeah, sure," she replied after a moment, smiling a bit more as Mickie grinned in excitement. The girl was too hyper for her own good sometimes.

"Awesome! Chris is going to be thrilled. So am I, actually. I'd love to get to know you more. I know how difficult it is being new and all," said Mickie and Amy nodded, shutting her locker and beginning the walk towards the cafeteria.

"Yeah, I appreciate it," said Amy.

Mickie quickly spotted Chris, as well as a few others, as the two girls entered the cafeteria. Chris offered a gentle smile, quickly motioning for Amy to come sit near him. She hated the attention she seemed to be getting from him lately, hating the fact that she was allowing herself to get so close to someone. She'd spent most of her childhood avoiding contact with her classmates, afraid that her secrets would be revealed, afraid someone would notice a bruise she forgot to cover or the way she sometimes struggled to walk after a particularly brutal night. If Chris noticed, he never said anything. Even when he did mention it, he always seemed to accept her lame excuse and move away from the conversation. For that, she was extremely grateful.

"Want to come grab lunch with me?" asked Chris, snapping Amy out of her thoughts and she nodded, dropping her bag at the table and heading off with Amy. She didn't want to think about her home life. For now, at this moment, she wanted to pretend that she was just a normal teenager.

* * *

"So, is it weird that I am kind of excited over that poetry assignment we got today?" asked Jeff as he and Maria began their walk from the school to the diner. Maria laughed, shaking her head. It had been a week since she had begun working at the diner, and she loved it. She enjoyed the time she got to spend with Jeff, she enjoyed getting the chance to work, but more so, she loved getting to at least pretend that she was like any other teenager her age. The food and the money it provided was enough to keep both she and her sister fed for a few

"No way. I'm excited too. I love writing. It's one of the few things in school I'm really good at," said Maria and Jeff smiled.

"Me too. There are no restrictions when you write, no holding back or anything like that. You can say what you feel with no worries about being wrong or judged," said Jeff and Maria nodded.

"Yeah, I guess," said Maria quietly, turning onto the street where the diner resided. Jeff stepped back a bit, studying his friend. It had been almost a month since the first day of school, a week since Maria had started working at the diner, and for all the time he spent with this girl, it still felt as if there was something she wasn't telling him. Of course, he didn't expect her to confess all of her secrets, but he just couldn't shake the feeling that something was awfully wrong. She hadn't worked all weekend, citing that she couldn't work weekends because of family obligations. On Monday, and every Monday it seemed to him, she always seemed to be more reserved, that fearful look in her eye that usually disappeared by Wednesday always returned on Monday….

"Jeff?"

Jeff looked up at his friend and offered her a smile. His father had always taught him that you never push for information which you are not entitled to. Maria and whatever her home life was like seemed to be just that….regardless of how much he valued the girl's friendship.

* * *

"You want a ride home?"

Amy stopped at the exit of the school, looking up as Chris stopped in front of her. It was getting late. School had let out nearly 45 minutes earlier, but she had opted to stay late, mainly because she knew her father hadn't gone to work today. Chris eyed her with curiosity as she hesitated, holding his own breath in hopes that she would take him up on the offer. He just wanted her to stop being so hesitant around him….

"Yeah, okay. I would really like that, actually," replied Amy after a brief pause. She figured if anything it would get her home earlier, possibly give her less of a punishment from her father if he was home. Of course, since Maria would be late anyways…..

"Amy?" asked Chris, trying to keep his friend's attention on him. She was always spacing out….

"Oh, sorry. Yeah, I'd love that ride," repeated Amy, heading off in the direction of Chris's car with him.


	9. Chapter 9

His car was in the driveway.

It was the first thing the young teen noticed as Chris pulled up to her house, and she could already feel the panic rising through her. Why had she decided to stay late? She knew it would only make the punishment worse, longer even. He hated tardiness. He needed to train them to be on time. He needed to punish them for being late….

She held back a whimper as she thought about the consequences of her actions, realizing that she was still in the car with Chris. She swallowed back the fear rising through her, offering a small smile for her friend, who was now looking at her with the greatest curiosity.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly, his voice gentle and kind, and oh, how she wanted to stay in this car forever suddenly…anything to avoid the punishment she now knew for certain was coming.

"Amy?"

She looked up at Chris again, nodding slightly, telling him without any words that she was okay. In reality, she was far from it though.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I should go. My dad is probably worried," she muttered and Chris nodded, reaching out to take his friend's hand, surprised when she jerked it back.

"Amy, honey, I'm not going to hurt you. You just don't look very good right now. What's wrong?" he asked and she had to bite back to urge to cry, to scream, to beg him to take her anywhere but here. She couldn't though. If she walked through that door now, maybe he would punish her enough to be worn out by the time Maria was home. Everyday this past week the girls' had lucked out. He hadn't returned home until after Maria had already arrived. Of course, they were never lucky so she should have known it would only come back to bite them twice as hard at some point….

"Nothing. I have to go. I'm really sorry, Chris. Thank you for the ride," rushed Amy, reaching for the door and grabbing her bag before heading to her house without so much as a goodbye. She had to face the music. She had to be punished for her tardiness. She had to hope and pray that he would punish her enough to satisfy his thirst and hunger for punishment before Maria made it home. She had to hope she would be able to make it through another day alive.

She closed her eyes at the though, willing the tears away. Weakness was another reason for punishment. She took one last deep, steadying breath, before reaching for the doorknob where her punishment awaited.

* * *

"Favorite movie?"

Maria couldn't help but roll her eyes as Jeff came up to the register with her, a dishrag in hand.

"Freedom Writers," stated Maria simply and Jeff nodded in approval.

"Favorite author?"

Maria laughed. "J.K Rowling of course. I'm a huge Harry Potter geek. What's with the 20 questions?" she asked and Jeff shrugged.

"Matt just walked in and he's being a butt head, so I came out here for better company," he replied and Maria smiled.

"Well maybe you should focus on working more and looking for company less," replied Maria with a smile.

"I like her thinking," replied a new voice, and Maria looked over to find Gil coming in from the back.

"Are you saying you like her more then?" asked Jeff, a teasing tone in his voice and Gil rolled his eyes.

"Get to work or go home Jeff," he replied sternly and Jeff rolled his eyes, dodging out of the way as his father messed around with his hair on his way.

Maria watched the small scene with envy. She had only been ten when her mom died, and though she had some good memories of her mom, most of what she remembered included her violent father. It wasn't really easy for a mother of two growing girls to have fun when you were recovering from a night of vicious beatings….but her mother had always tried her best, and somehow she always managed.

"You're shifts almost up. Why don't you go help Jeff in the back and I'll watch up front for the next hour or so," said Gil, snapping Maria out of her thoughts and she instantly nodded, managing a small smile for the man she called her boss.

* * *

"Where were you?!"

His voice boomed through the house and Amy flinched as he came only inches from her.

"I…I had to…..stay at school," she whispered, refusing to meet his eye. A gasp of pain escaped her lips as her father pulled at her hair, jerking her head up and forcing her to meet his eyes filled with anger.

"Stand up straight when I talk to you and look me in the eye!" he demanded, slapping her across her right cheek and her lip quivered as she tried desperately to follow his order, trying to ignore the sting from the slap.

"Daddy, I'm sorry. My teacher needed-

Her words were cut off by another slap and this time she couldn't help but raise her hand to the cheek, tears that had filled her hazel eyes after the first time now slipping unmarked down her cheek. She felt her father pull her arm away, shoving her into the wall.

"I don't care what kept you. You know the rules, Amy! You know what happens when you break the rules too, so don't sit there and cry and apologize when you knew damn well what you were doing!" he yelled, his face beat red as his volume increased and Amy couldn't help the choked up sob that escaped her lips, the right side of her face now throbbing.

"Go stand in the middle of the living room!" he demanded, stepping out of her way and shoving her in that direction. She dutifully did as she was told, keeping her gaze lowered once more as she felt him directly behind her. She looked up only to see him head over to the closet, more sobs escaping her lips when she saw him grab the large paddle. She kept silent as he returned, knowing better than to beg or apologize. That always only made it worse.

"Drop your pants and grab your ankles," he demanded, a sick and sadistic smile gracing his lips as he went to stand just a few feet behind her.

Amy whimpered as she obeyed, crying out as the first blow came, followed closely by a second. Her arms gripped tightly to her ankles, trying not to fall, trying not to scream….but it was no use. By the 12th blow she was sobbing so much her face was red, her voice sore. She could feel the blisters forming by the 25th blow, simply praying for an end by that point. It came to an end after 20 minutes, a total of 55 blows to her behind. As the final one came, the worst in her opinion, she dropped to her knees on the ground, her face buried into the carpet as she sobbed. The relief of it being over was short lived though, her father almost instantly dragging her back up, her legs unable to move as he dragged her into the bathroom.

"Where is your sister?" he asked, shutting the door behind him, the sound making Amy jump.

"I don't know," whispered Amy, her voice still weak from the sobs.

"Where is she!" he demanded, time much louder and Amy whimpered, curling into the tiles on the floor as her father let her fall to the ground.

"I don't know, daddy," she cried, fearful of the next blow.

"Fine," he said, stepping onto her to get to the tub, ignoring the gasp of pain as she felt his foot dig into back. "Maybe a little more punishment will make you rethink your answer.


End file.
